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Greeley’s "Men In Black" charged with impersonating police

By PAT CAMUSO

BLOOMING GROVE — Two men, said to be operating a private and unauthorized police operation in Lackawaxen Township, have been charged by state police.

According to the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) at Blooming Grove, Andrew Joseph McShane of Franklin, New Jersey and James J. Halke of Greeley have been charged with two counts each of "impersonating a public servant" and one count of "unsworn falsification to authorities." Both charges are class-two misdemeanors, each count carrying a fine of up to $5000 and up to two years in jail.

Halke said Monday that he will seek a change of venue in any forthcoming prosecution, claiming that prejudicial media coverage from last week’s TRR account of an interview with the two men would make a fair trial impossible anywhere in the newspaper’s coverage area.

Told that the PSP had independently confirmed the details of the TRR story, Halke responded that the police did not necessarily know all the details either.

The men caught the attention of the police on March 9, 1999 when, acting on a phone call from a Masthope resident, they found Halke and McShane attempting to serve a bench warrant to a Joseph Pavicil.

The alleged impersonators told the police at the scene that they were agents of the "MIB Fugitive Enforcement Agency" and produced a bench warrant issued from Pike County Court.

Halke indicated that he and McShane were "fugitive enforcement officers," bounty hunters working under the authority of the Pike County Sheriff’s Office. Under these pretences Halke and McShane then attempted to serve the warrant in the presence of state police, according to PSP Trooper David Relph.

Investigating officer George Confer said, "The subject of the warrant was not found at that location."

Bob Bernethy of the Pike County Sheriff’s office said, "I emphatically state that these people had no authority from us — I had no prior knowledge of this."

The PSP have confiscated gold shield-type badges from the suspects which bear the seal of the United States and the initials F.E.A. under the words, "fugitive enforcement agent." Authorities also have the men’s I.D. cards on which Halke signed the authorization lines with his own signature.

The PSP say the two also stopped speeding motorists. "Both accused have admitted to stopping motorists for traffic violations, and also to spotlighting area businesses at night," said Trooper Confer.

Andrew McShane, who has now left the area, earlier said the men were authorized. Indicating he got his information from Halke, McShane said, "I would not have put that red light on my car or done any of the things I have done if I was not told that the Shohola Police Department gave us their O.K."

Frank Brunner of the Shohola Police said he never issued any such authority.

Halke said that his company was registered with the prosecutor’s office, the Sheriff’s Department, the state police, the FBI in Harrisburg and Philadelphia, the DEA in Washington, and the Department of Justice.

According to the PSP, the MIB Fugitive Enforcement Agency is not on record at these agencies. A series of phone calls from The River Reporter also could not verify Halke’s claim.

"We were never attempting to impersonate a police officer at all," said Halke. "We never identified ourselves as a police officer. Our badges say right on them Fugitive Enforcement Agent."

McShane said, "I never intended to act like a police officer and I’m sorry. I’m not trying to step on anybody’s toes — I’m not trying to make any trouble."